After our standard Icelandic breakfast at the Volcano Hotel, we backtracked about 10km to Vik, the major village in the area. We were amazed seeing the beautiful black sand beach and watched the waves rolling in past Vik's visual trademark, Reynisdrangar. This is a row of spiky basalt sea stacks reaching up to 66 metres. Local lore dictates that the three spires are what is left of a three masted ship that two trolls could not land before dawn, causing the trolls to turn to stone in the sunlight.
Reynisfjara is a black pebble beach about 10 km west and another place from which one can see Reynisdrangar from a different angle but much closer
. In addition there we saw Halsanefshellir, the basalt sea cave. This large mountain faces the ocean covered by basalt columns in different directions with a gigantic cave in the middle. The mountain must be 100 metres high and the cave is about 20 metres high and wide. The basalt columns on the outside of the mountains are amazing geological formations caused by quick cooling of the lava as it poured over the mountain side. We've seen such formations elsewhere but these were particularly great.
Across a large sea lagoon we saw the promontory, Dyrholaey. This very large rock has three openings at the water level that make this almost mystical and we got great pictures of it.
Next, we tried to go next to a glacier at Solheimajokull, but after 3 km on a bad gravel and pothole road we turned back. Without a high rise suspension we thought we would damage the undercarriage of our car, the only part of the vehicular that cannot be insured. We even had sand and rock insurance just in case we got into a sand and rock wind storm that could ruin the whole outside of the car. Apparently such a storm occurred the week before we got to Iceland and people were returning their cars with totally ruined and pockmarked exteriors. Needless to say, we took the insurance.
Our next stop was Skogar which had a beautiful waterfall
. Skogafoss is a 62 metre high very powerful waterfall facing the ring road. Close up one gets enveloped in the mist and rainbow. We finally got sun and few clouds in time to enjoy this. There is a steel staircase that leads to a lookout at the top. Howard did climb the 434 steps to witness the view.
Near this was the Skogar Folk Museum. This was started when Thordur Tomasson was 14 and he now is 92 and going strong. He has collected many artifacts that are now on display. He was present and gave us a demonstration of playing a local type of dulcimer and also showed us how to spin lambs wool and horsehair into useable thread. The museum had boats, clothes, jewellery, agricultural tools and articles common to homes long ago. There were also reconstructed homes, a school, and church from 1800 to 1940. A marvellous transport museum is there too with a spectacular section on communication from the eighteenth century up to and including modern mobile phones.
Up the road from Skogar is Eyjafjallajokul, the volcano that erupted from under a glacier in 2010 from March to May releasing ash that stretched from Iceland to Morrocco going as high as 50,000 feet ands topping European air traffic for days. We saw it and the farm that was and is directly under it, but the video of it and the visitor centre was closed. Nevertheless, it was thrilling to see it and the pictures of the event and life before and after it from the roadside signs.
Tonight we are staying at the Hotel Ranga, a four star country hotel. When we got there we found that it was happy hour - beer and wine was half price which is a big deal in Iceland since alcoholic beverages are expensive due to high government taxation. We enjoyed chatting with some Brits about travel and partook in a delicious New Zealand Pinot Noir. Minna then went to the room to rest and Howard relaxed in one of the outdoor hot tubs.
Dinner tonight at Hotel Ranga started with lobster soup for Minna and smoked puffin breast for Howard. Second course was lightly marinated fresh arctic char, followed by lamb loin, then berry ice cream and skyr mousse with blueberry compote. This was our best meal yet on the trip. Everything was outstanding.
Next we went outside and witnessed the aurora borealis. It started out very faintly.
It increased to be quite obvious across the sky in a beautiful kelly green. This was our first successful attempt at viewing it in eleven days, so we were thrilled that we finally saw it.
Waterfalls, volcanos, glaciers and aurora borealis
Friday, September 27, 2013
South, Iceland
Other Entries
-
1A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to Iceland.
Sep 1611 days priorToronto, Canadaphoto_camera0videocam 0comment 0 -
2Chilly in Reykjavik
Sep 1710 days priorReykjavik, Icelandphoto_camera0videocam 0comment 0 -
3On the way to Snaefellsnes Peninsula
Sep 189 days priorHellnar, Icelandphoto_camera0videocam 0comment 3 -
4The big drive to Skagafjordur in the north
Sep 198 days priorNorthwest, Icelandphoto_camera1videocam 0comment 0 -
525 km south of the Arctic Circle
Sep 207 days priorAkureyri, Icelandphoto_camera0videocam 0comment 0 -
6Herring Era Museum
Sep 216 days priorSiglufjörður, Icelandphoto_camera1videocam 0comment 1 -
7Troll land
Sep 225 days priorNortheast, Icelandphoto_camera1videocam 0comment 0 -
8Lake Myvatn area
Sep 234 days priorNortheast, Icelandphoto_camera3videocam 0comment 0 -
9Eastbound to Egilisstadir
Sep 243 days priorEgilsstaðir, Icelandphoto_camera4videocam 0comment 0 -
10Eastern fjords
Sep 252 days priorHöfn, Icelandphoto_camera3videocam 0comment 0 -
11Glaciers in the south
Sep 261 day priorVik, Icelandphoto_camera3videocam 0comment 0 -
12Waterfalls, volcanos, glaciers and aurora borealis
Sep 27South, Icelandphoto_camera4videocam 0comment 0 -
13Iceland's Golden Circle
Sep 281 day laterReykjavik, Icelandphoto_camera0videocam 0comment 0 -
14Enjoying Reykjavik
Sep 292 days laterReykjavik, Icelandphoto_camera5videocam 0comment 0 -
15Horses, Hot water, and Penises
Sep 303 days laterReykjavik, Icelandphoto_camera3videocam 0comment 0 -
16The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly
Oct 014 days laterGrindavik, Icelandphoto_camera1videocam 0comment 0 -
17Two great things happened today
Oct 025 days laterGrindavik, Icelandphoto_camera0videocam 0comment 0 -
18Thoughts on Iceland
Oct 036 days laterToronto, Canadaphoto_camera0videocam 0comment 0
2025-02-09